


rinharuweek DAY 2 - Departure (Professions AU - musicians)

by yakutatazuaho



Series: yakutatazuaho's rinharuweek entries (nov2014) [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Musicians, musicians au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 10:19:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2689205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yakutatazuaho/pseuds/yakutatazuaho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin is a violonist who transfers to Iwatobi Elementary School and wants to perform in a quartet/ensemble. Haruka plays the piano and doesn’t like concours because he likes to play freely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	rinharuweek DAY 2 - Departure (Professions AU - musicians)

Haruka is a pianist. Although the piano is a heavy instrument that can’t be carried anywhere, it has a special freedom of its own. In the first place, the piano can perform alone, it doesn’t need any accompaniment and its notes can soar high freely without the need of another’s aid. It can shine by itself, and the feeling of performing without needing to look around you and just facing your piano and communicating with it is the best way to lose yourself in your own thoughts, even in front of an audience. Haruka feels as if he’s submerging in his own world when he plays the piano, where there’s just the two of them, where they can communicate directly. He likes to entrust himself to the feelings and play as his heart dictates him.

Rin is a violinist. He competes in concours and has a pretty, romantic sound that’s confident and soft. He plays by the book, but has a strength and brilliance that makes it special, he’s true to the proper technique but has something that makes him shine when he’s performing. He’s a hard worker, and now, in grade school, he’s on the stage. Haruka watches him and the other competitors with little interest from the spectator seats in his school’s concert hall where the summer concours is being held every year. Makoto brought him there, saying he can’t go alone, although he knows that’s a lie and that he always tries to make him go out in the world more.

Haruka didn’t even take note of him the first time he saw him, but they met once in school when he happened to pass by when he was playing a piece in the classical music club room. He also didn’t imagine that he’d be meeting Rin again in his last year of grade school, when he transferred all of a sudden. The pianist found it suspicious that the violinist came over all of a sudden and immediately joined the music club, but he acted as disinterested as always and tried not to pay much attention to it.

Rin was sitting back on a couch when Haruka was playing Strauss’ “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”, a song that he likes. He didn’t mind the red head and let himself fall into his dream world while his fingers were tracing leisurely the piano keys like a water stream, spontaneous and true.

"Nanase, you should really consider entering some contests", said Rin after Haruka ended his piece and was leaning over the keyboard with his eyes closed.

"Not interested", he answered as he opened his eyes slowly and looked out the window. The sky was was a beautiful spotless blue, although the weather was chilly.

"But you’re always playing the piano here. If you love music that much, you should try measuring your potential. Though you’re a bit careless with the sheets and don’t follow them at all!".

Haruka turned his back and glanced at Rin indifferently.

"Then why did you enter this club?" asked Rin.

"It just happened", came the confusing answer from the blue haired boy.

Iwatobi Elementary School has a classical music club, but didn’t have many members. Most of them rarely came to the room, and it had loose rules and many permissions. Among the members were also Makoto and a one year younger energetic kid who played the trumpet and called Nagisa who kept clinging to Haruka and disturbing his peace. The school rules said that joining a club was compulsory, so Haruka thought about a few less troublesome clubs, but Makoto asked him to join this one, and he couldn’t say no to his insistence. But he found too bothersome to say it all and he didn’t care to inform Rin of every detail.

But as the weather was getting warmer and graduation was approaching, Rin kept bothering Haruka more and more, and Haruka began taking more notice of him. He would sometimes play the piano and seemed to want to compete with him, because Rin could play both the piano and violin and wanted to show off his talents. He was so energetic and friendly that they somehow ended up being some sort of friends, and their small group formed. They’d often stay late in the clubroom playing their instruments, or chatting while Haruka idly improvised something on the piano.

"Hey Nanase!", Rin called out to him one day. He only looked at him waiting for him to continue. 

"You know there’s the spring concours coming soon, right? How about taking part in it as a quartet?"

The pianist looked him in the eyes and said that he doesn’t want to take part in it quite in a loud voice when Rin asked a second time.  
But the redhead only looked a bit surprised and kept moving around him with an excited expression and added with a grin. “Tachibana said he’ll do it, right?”

"Yeah", said Makoto who was taking out his cello and listening to their conversation. "We don’t do this kind of thing often and it’s a chance to perform together. I think it’s a nice idea", he added with a soft smile directed at Rin.

Rin seemed to gain more enthusiasm from that and grabbed Haruka around his shoulder dragging him down a bit. “so, how about it?” he said.

"I’m also part of the group!" started a giggly voice from the door. It was Nagisa who was just coming in. "I had to ask Rin a lot of times to let me in it too! But I really want to perform with Haru-chan!". He came closer and grabbed Haruka’s arm trapping him between himself and Rin, and clinged to his arm looking up with puppy eyes and said "Please!".

"No", said Haruka without a second thought.  
"Come on~!" Nagisa continued nuzzling his head on the taller boy’s arm. "Pleaaase! It’ll definitely be fun!"

"Okay, it’s set then!" Rin added without waiting for an answer and tugged on Haruka’s shoulder.  
Makoto giggled and went on his business but threw a quick glance at Rin when he realized something and said:  
"But what piece are we going to perform?"

The red haired boy grinned with enthusiasm and threw his arms on the sides of his body gesturing a grand plan and said loudly: “We’ll hold a meeting for that right now!”

"Yay!" Nagisa jumped in excitement and Makoto looked surprised when he said "Now?" to which Rin noted that if they didn’t do it right then, then Haruka would avoid the issue next time and pretend he’s not part of the group. The other boys could only agree and they sat at the table in the club room to discuss. Haruka didn’t look very displeased with the situation as he sat down with the others without needing to be invited.

"Hey, Nanase, aren’t you all set for this?" asked Rin rhetorically.

Haruka ignored Rin’s teasing and quickly said:”Let’s choose something” with the intention to end the conversation fast so he can play his piano.

"Then what type of piece you think would be good?"

"I want something fun!" answered Nagisa.

"I think we should choose something we like" added Rin.

"On the Beautiful Blue Danube", "Sea Journey", "La Mer".

"You really like the sea, Nanase! You know, I was actually thinking we should arrange a song on our own!"

"For real?" said Nagisa with excitement.

"That’s a nice idea. But can we do it?" questioned Makoto.

"We can! We’ll do it freely!", Rin almost cut him off loudly.

"Free…" muttered Haruka in his seat. "I agree."

Rin continued with sparkling eyes: “How about we perform “Under the Sea”?

"The Disney song?" asked Nagisa.

"Yeah! It’s fun and everyone knows it. Each of us can do their parts how they like and we can harmonize them together."

Unexpectedly, the boys stuck to their rehearsals daily and the clubroom was filled with music and joy. They got closer to each other and Haruka actually found it reassuring to be with the four boys, so much that his performance sometimes sounded softer, something Makoto noticed with pleasure and kept it a secret from Haru himself.  
All kinds of performers had entered the contest but their ensemble seemed to be the most versatile among them as most groups were specialized in a type of instrument. But this was a special moment for the boys, for Rin. After he confessed to them that the reason why he wanted to perform in a quartet was because his father had been a musician who attended the same school, the team seemed to grow even closer and they performed with all their hearts. Rin guided everyone with his lead violin and Haruka did the accompaniment in a rather jazzy, unrestricted style that seemed to be more of a main show rather than the accompanying instrument, and Nagisa threw cheerful and colorful sound everywhere as he moved around the stage, while Makoto supported them from behind with a gentle cello sound.

The concours ended and the boys were in their clubroom talking about the excitement they’d felt on the stage, about how beautiful it is when all of their sounds melt together in harmony. Rin talked with energy but he soon showed a sad expression, deciding he couldn’t put off telling them anymore. He clenched his fingers and started:

"You know..I’ll be going to Austria…"

"Austria? The country?" came the question.

"Yeah. I want to study music under a good mentor. I think I can do a lot more there."

"That’s faar far away, isn’t it!?" said Nagi concerned.

"When are you leaving?"

"Actually…I’m leaving tomorrow."

"No way, that’s so sudden! You should have told us before, Rin!" said Makoto disheartened.

"Sorry…But! I was so glad I got to perform with you all. Didn’t you see it too, Haru? A sight you’ve never seen before…"

"You’ve said that before" said Haru a bit irritated. He wasn’t even sure what he was feeling. Angry that Rin kept everything a secret? Sad that Rin is leaving? He wanted to sit up and leave, but Nagisa’s voice resounded in the whole room when he suggested they hold a small see you soon party for Rin, so he had to stay. They had fun, chatted and stayed until late, and although Haruka had a good time with all of them, he couldn’t help feeling something pressing on his chest. He wanted to play the piano, he wanted to ask the piano about his own feelings; so when everyone went home, he stayed behind.

He sat in front of the piano and began tracing his fingers along the keyboard. He started in a violent flow of keys, powerful and overwhelming, like a stormy sea, then growing calmer and calmer, almost sadly so. He emphasized each note, moving his head above the keyboard and leaning over it. He had his eyes closed when Rin entered the room and only noticed him when he pressed a few keys matching his improvised piece.

Haruka looked up to see a small smile on Rin’s face that turned into a grin as he sat beside Haruka and pushed him a bit away then lifted his hands above the piano. He started playing Shostakovich’s Second Waltz from the Jazz Suite no.2, and Haruka noticed that it was the arrangement for four hands. Rin was looking at him and he understood he wanted him to join in, so he sat frozen for a bit longer until he hesitantly played his notes for one hand. Then he added the other in a more confident and flowing performance, and they began to synchronize better. It was a bit difficult on one piano, but they improvised and eventually they forgot any rules, almost forgot the song and played a combination of notes that kept the original structure but played with the scenes and released sparkles with each note.

Rin smiled at Haruka and he just kept looking at him, fascinated. They stretched the ending and added a lot of flowers, making Rin feel as if he was being seen off with a whole garden as a present. Haruka looked a bit away when they finished the piece and Rin jumped in excitement.  
"Haru, that was great!" he said waving his hands. "I never thought I could be so in tune with anyone!"  
Haruka lifted his head to look at Rin who was now standing beside him and who said: “Let’s play together again, okay?”  
The black haired boy looked at him in surprise for a bit and then nodded slightly. It almost seemed as if his worries before weren't his, he didn't even understand why he had been so frustrated. Just one piece, just Rin’s presence beside him could crumble his worries just like that, and he felt his heart grow warmer. As if Rin sensed what he was thinking, Rin said:

"We’ll meet again soon!"  
Hearing this, Haruka felt a bit relieved and he felt that he could look forward to the next time when they’ll meet and play the piano together like this. Whether either of them will be famous, whether they’ll have stopped performing altogether, whether they’ll meet again in one, two years or five, he felt that what he experienced now would come back to him when they would have the chance to sit together again and play with their hearts, through their fingers, as their shoulders brush against each other.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be longer and have more romance. But well, they're twelve, and it's pretty much puppy love kind and I wish I would've written something about the future, their reunion.  
> Thank you very much for reading!  
> Also on tumblr @yakutatazu-aho


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